w better. They know,
that, as a body, you are no more natives of Africa, than they
themselves are natives of Great Britain. Yet they repeat the
absurd charge; and they do so, in order to cover their
anti-republican crusade. But suppose you were foreigners: would
such an accident justify this persecution and removal? And, if
so, then all foreigners must come under the same ban, and must
prepare to depart. There would be, in that case, a most alarming
deduction from our population. Suppose a philanthropic and
religious crusade were got up against the Dutch, the French, the
Swiss, the Irish, among us, to remove them to New Holland, to
enlighten and civilize her cannibals? Who would not laugh at the
scheme--who would not actively oppose it? Would any one blame
the above classes for steadfastly resisting it? Just so, then,
in regard to African colonization. But our colored population
are not aliens; they were born on our soil; they are bone of our
bone, and flesh of our flesh; their fathers fought bravely to
achieve our independence during the revolutionary war, without
immediate or subsequent compensation; they spilt their blood
freely during the last war; they are entitled, in fact, to every
inch of our southern, and much of our western territory, having
worn themselves out in its cultivation, and received nothing but
wounds and bruises in return. Are these the men to stigmatize as
foreigners?

'Colonizationists generally agree in asserting that the people
of color cannot be elevated in this country, nor be admitted to
equal privileges with the whites. Is not this a libel upon
humanity and justice--a libel upon republicanism--a libel upon
the Declaration of Independence--a libel upon christianity? "All
men are born equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights--among which are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness." What is the meaning of that declaration?
That _all_ men possess these rights--whether they are six feet
five inches high, or three feet two and a half--whether they
weigh three hundred or one hundred pounds--whether they parade
in broadcloth or flutter in rags--whether their skins are jet
black or lily white--whether their hair is straight or woolly,
auburn or red, black or gray--does it not? We, who are present,
differ from each ot